Only You Valencia Rooftop

The rooftop of Only YOU Hotel Valencia sits on the ninth floor of the hotel on Plaza Rodrigo Botet, about a hundred metres from Plaza del Ayuntamiento. The hotel was built on the foundations of the city's first luxury hotel, and from the top floor you look out over the historic centre, with the cathedral and the Lonja de la Seda both around half a kilometre away.

Up here there are two things going on. El Mirador is the hotel's ninth-floor restaurant, a Mediterranean kitchen where rice is the star of the menu, alongside Valencian recipes and more playful dishes. The rooftop terrace itself is covered and has a relaxed, Mediterranean beach-bar feel, which makes it usable for most of the year, not just on perfect summer evenings.

What sets it apart from most hotel terraces in the centre is the music. In the evenings, from seven o'clock between Thursday and Sunday, the rooftop hosts live music, usually in an acoustic, lounge-friendly format that suits conversation rather than dancing. Drinks come from Trotamundos, the hotel's cocktail bar concept, so the list leans towards creative cocktails, plus wine and something to eat from the kitchen.

The crowd mixes hotel guests with locals who come for an after-work drink or a special occasion, and visitors who want a view of the centre without a long trip to the waterfront. Guests should be 18 or over in the evenings. There is no strict written dress code, but the atmosphere is elegant and people usually dress smartly; think of what you would wear to a nice dinner rather than to the beach.

The terrace opens from midday and stays open later on Fridays and Saturdays, but times can change with the season and with private events, so it is worth checking before you go. Drinks generally sit in the €12–€20 range, and booking ahead is a good idea for the live music evenings and for dinner at El Mirador. The location makes it easy to combine: a walk through the old town and Plaza Redonda or the Central Market beforehand, shopping on Calle Poeta Querol, then a sunset drink upstairs before dinner in the centre. Metro stations around Plaza del Ayuntamiento, such as Xàtiva and Colón, are within easy walking distance.